Yesterday (Sunday 24th September 2017) CBB was part of a very special day where our volunteers provided a marked fleet bike escort and guard of honour at St Nicholas Chapel, on the island at St. Ives for Laura and Anth both volunteers with the blood bike group Bloodrun EVS .

A few months ago, we were contacted by Laura & Anth from a fellow blood group Bloodrun EVS from Teeside with their story.

Laura became a volunteer with Bloodrun EVS after needing their service. Laura was diagnosed with cancer and due to complications caused by chemotherapy; emergency gamma-irradiated blood and blood products were needed fast, but there were no specialised blood products at the hospital she was in. The doctors gave a window of 1 hour where if she didn’t receive the blood, her organs would begin to shut down and she could die. The nearest specialist blood was at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle; 1 hours car drive away. This wouldn’t have got to Laura in time so a volunteer blood biker was dispatched as part of a relay from the northern hospital; they would meet halfway and then transport the blood to where I was at North Tees University Hospital. They arrived with 15 minutes to spare before the 1 hour critical time limit was up.

Laura was indebted to Bloodrun EVS and wanted to give something back by volunteering for the organisation, and as they say the rest is history.

Laura volunteered, is now a trustee within Bloodrun EVS and met her future husband Anth.

Laura and Anth ‘s favourite place is St Ives and was the obvious choice for their wedding, and they very much wanted to acknowledge the importance of blood bikes within their life.

Laura said: –

“We wanted to acknowledge the blood bike service at our wedding because if it wasn’t for a volunteer; we may not have had to opportunity to get married at all. We will always be grateful to that rider and to all volunteers up and down the country who give up their own time to save others”.

Thank you to all our volunteers who gave up their time so freely and to Sarah Kevern of St. Ives Town Council Guildhall Weddings who helped us to make it all possible by granting permission for our fleet bikes to go on private land.

All at Cornwall Blood Bikes wish Laura and Anth every happiness in their future together.